Knife detection turns deadly: Police shoot armed 54-year-old passenger at Iloilo airport
- A 54-year-old passenger was shot in the shoulder on Jan. 28 after allegedly trying to stab a police officer at Iloilo International Airport
- The incident started when an X-ray machine detected a concealed blade in the suspect's bag at the pre-departure security checkpoint
- Police Executive Master Sgt. Dixon Zabala used lethal force after the suspect reportedly ignored orders and lunged at him with the knife
- The suspect, identified as a security guard from Camiguin, faces charges of direct assault and attempted h0micide while recovering in the hospital
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In a rare and violent disruption at Iloilo International Airport on Wednesday afternoon, January 28, 2026, a passenger identified as a 54-year-old security guard was shot by aviation police after allegedly attempting to stab an officer with a concealed blade.
Source: UGC
The incident, which occurred in the high-security pre-departure area, sent shockwaves through the terminal and has prompted a review of screening protocols.
The confrontation began at approximately 4:44 p.m. at the central security screening checkpoint on the third floor.
According to the Iloilo Police Provincial Office (IPPO), personnel from the Office of Transportation Security (OTS) flagged a passenger, Roland B. Lañojan, a resident of Camiguin, after an X-ray machine detected a bladed weapon inside his carry-on luggage.
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Witnesses and airport officials reported that Lañojan became defiant when asked to open his bag for manual inspection.
Instead of cooperating with standard check-in procedures for such items, he allegedly brandished the knife, sparking an immediate response from the Aviation Security Unit 6 (AVSEU-6).
A team led by Police Executive Master Sgt. Dixon E. Zabala arrived to de-escalate the situation, repeatedly instructing the suspect to surrender the weapon.
However, the situation turned critical when Lañojan reportedly lunged at Zabala, attempting to stab the officer multiple times.
Zabala managed to evade the thrusts and, perceiving an imminent threat to his life and the safety of nearby travelers, discharged his service firearm.
A single shot hit Lañojan in the shoulder, effectively neutralizing the threat. Airport medical teams provided on-site first aid before the suspect was transferred to the Western Visayas Sanitarium Hospital in Santa Barbara, Iloilo, where he remains under police guard.
Following the incident, airport operations returned to normal, though security has been visibly tightened.
Airport Terminal Supervisor Arthur Parreño confirmed that a risk assessment is underway to prevent a repeat of such a volatile encounter.
The suspect, whose motives remain unclear due to his limited cooperation with investigators, is now facing charges of direct assault and attempted h0micide.
Meanwhile, the officer involved has been placed under restrictive custody—a standard procedure following any police-involved shooting, while the Police Regional Office 6 conducts a thorough investigation into the legality of the use of force.
In other news, a toddler, aged one, was secured by local responders after being left unattended on the shoulder of a major road in Barangay Tabalong, Dauis, on January 27, 2026. Preliminary findings suggest the mother intentionally left the infant to coerce her partner into skipping work to celebrate the child's first birthday. The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has temporarily transferred the child to the paternal grandfather's care while social workers evaluate the home environment. Law enforcement and social services are currently reviewing potential charges of child endangerment against the mother for exposing the minor to significant traffic risks.
Still in other news, law enforcement units in Novaliches are hunting a male suspect who infiltrated a local SPED center to steal electronic equipment during morning operations. CCTV records show the individual camouflaging himself among waiting parents before walking off with a tablet and phone containing confidential student data. Following the physical robbery, the perpetrator allegedly used the stolen device to impersonate a center employee and solicit emergency funds from the victim’s family. Community leaders have identified the suspect as a non-resident "outsider" after neighborhood profiling failed to link the man’s face to any local households.
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Source: KAMI.com.gh
